Flagstone Patio Designs

Flagstone is a large, flat type of sandstone that is commonly used for paving roofs, but also for creating patios and walkways. Flagstone patio designs are a wonderful way to liven up your landscape.

Flagstones can be laid to look uniform, but for the most part, a flagstone patio design will look similar to other stone patios, with lots of creativity and different-sized stones next to one another.

What You Should Know about Laying Flagstone Patio Designs

When laying flagstone patio designs there will be some differences as compared to laying regular stone or brick.

This has to do mostly with the thickness of the stone and the large size. Although stone, brick, and paver patio designs can be laid without cement, many experts will suggest laying flagstone with cement to prevent sand from creeping up and covering the entire patio or from having problems with the stone chipping away in the future.

Here are the basics of laying patio designs with flagstone:

1. It is extremely important to find a level area for these types of patio designs. It will help to ensure that the flagstones remain in place and remain level because of their flat shape.

2. Next, mark off and measure the landscaping area where the patio will go, to correctly determine the necessary materials, including sand, cement, and the number of stones for the design.

3. Instead of excavating 2-4 inches, as with most brick and stone patio designs, you will want to excavate to at least 4 inches but can go to as much as 8 inches, depending on the thickness of the flagstones and the height you want your patio in comparison to the home.

4. After digging the excavated area, level off the area ensuring the grade is correct so water will run off... away from the house.

5. From here, pour a 4-inch concrete slab, to help prevent cracking in the future.*

6. Within a day of pouring the slab, begin installing the stones, as the slab will help reinforce the setting of the stones.

7. Use and pour a mixture of sand and Portland cement, mixing one part cement to three parts sand, on top of the slab, making it at least 1 inch thick, but upwards of 3 inches thick, depending on the depth of the excavated area and the width of the flagstone.

8. Begin setting the stones in the desired patio design and tamp them into place.

9. Wait a day or two to let the sand and cement mixture seal and then use the same mixture to fill in the cracks of the flagstone.

10. Before the cement and sand mixture has partially dried, spray off the flagstones to remove any cement. Ensure that the cement mixture is dried before walking on the new patio.

*As an alternative, you can skip the pouring of the 4-inch slab of concrete. This is recommended by experts to help ensure that the flagstone will remain in place and free of chips or cracks.